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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mug — a cup
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lean — thin
  5. lie — to recline
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. craft — boats
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. branch — a division
  10. mug — a face
  11. lean — to bend
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mug — to rob
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. clip — a video
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. clip — for paper
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. suit — clothes
  24. craft — a handicraft

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