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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 not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chair — a leader
  7. land — to come down
  8. rock — music
  9. land — ground
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. land — a country
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rock — a stone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chair — a professorship

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