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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 124 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — clever
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mug — a face
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. scale — in music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — size or range
  12. board — to get on
  13. mine — for digging
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lie — to recline
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. board — a committee
  23. mug — a cup
  24. chair — to sit on

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