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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. perch — the fish
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. capital — a city
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fine — all right
  23. chair — a leader
  24. capital — money

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