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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. lie — to recline
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cap — of ice
  7. suit — in cards
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cap — a hat
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. charge — a price
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — to shout
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cap — a lid
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. charge — in control
  20. suit — to fit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — electricity

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