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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mug — to rob
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — to recline
  7. scale — size or range
  8. march — music
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. root — of a word
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mug — a face
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. march — the month
  15. root — the cause
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bat — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mug — a cup
  23. chair — a leader
  24. scale — in music

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