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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. land — a country
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. land — to come down
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mate — a friend
  24. land — ground

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