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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stock — goods
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stock — shares
  7. stand — to bear
  8. row — a line
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lean — to bend
  14. charge — a price
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. charge — in control
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lean — thin
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. row — a quarrel

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