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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chair — a leader
  3. deal — to handle
  4. land — ground
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — a group
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stem — to come from
  20. club — for golf
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chair — to sit on

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