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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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chair — a leader
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lean — thin
  9. capital — a city
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lie — to recline
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — the season

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