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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chair — a leader
  4. swing — in golf
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. firm — steady
  12. lie — to recline
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — a tool
  16. firm — a company
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bat — in an idiom

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