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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. content — the amount
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pop — soda
  12. lie — to recline
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — music
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. roll — a list
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pop — to visit

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