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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 ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. present — a gift
  8. rule — a law
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. cell — a phone
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. chair — a leader
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rule — government
  24. cell — in biology

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