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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — in cards
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. board — a committee
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. hand — help
  23. snap — to click
  24. board — to get 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