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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bear — the animal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mine — for digging
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bass — low music
  19. rest — a break
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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