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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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. bulb — for light
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. press — newspapers
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rash — hasty
  12. press — a publisher
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. firm — a company
  15. press — to push
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rash — a series
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lie — an untruth

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