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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The water is too ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. charge — in control
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cold — an illness
  9. chair — a leader
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. shower — rain
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cold — not warm

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com