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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rock — music
  4. current — of water
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ground — a position
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. current — happening now
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lean — thin
  24. current — electric

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