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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 116 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 lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. land — ground
  7. bat — the animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. land — a country
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lie — to recline

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