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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. present — there
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. present — the time now
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. present — a gift
  16. fall — the season
  17. key — in music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. key — for a lock

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