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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. swing — music
  3. cell — in biology
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. court — for sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chair — a leader
  10. court — of law
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. can — a tin
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. swing — to play on
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. court — of a king
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — in golf

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