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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rock — a stone
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rock — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — soda
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wind — moving air

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