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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. file — a document
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lie — to recline
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. file — a tool
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. snap — to click
  21. capital — a city
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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