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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. kid — child
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chair — a leader
  6. spell — magic
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. court — of law
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — a city
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. court — for sport
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kid — to tease
  17. capital — money
  18. spell — letters
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. court — of a king
  24. lie — an untruth

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