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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. bound — certain
  2. chair — a leader
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bound — obliged
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rush — hurry
  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