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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rock — a stone
  8. snap — to click
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bound — certain
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bound — tied together

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