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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. firm — steady
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. charge — electricity
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bore — to tire
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wake — a trail
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. firm — decided

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