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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. lie — to recline
  3. firm — steady
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fall — the season
  7. mine — for digging
  8. band — a ring
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — decided
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. band — a music group
  19. firm — a company
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fall — to drop

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