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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. last — final
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — a measure
  6. last — finally
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lie — to recline
  11. chair — a leader
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — a country
  18. bound — tied together
  19. track — a song
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bound — certain
  23. last — to go on
  24. chair — to sit 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