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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. last — finally
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. court — of law
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. court — for sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. court — of a king
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stem — to come from
  22. last — final
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. last — to go on

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