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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 ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pop — soda
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. staff — employees
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chair — a leader
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. fall — the season
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mark — a trace
  24. staff — employees

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