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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. land — a country
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cue — a hint
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — ground
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cue — for pool
  17. land — to come down
  18. rest — a break
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. jam — in traffic

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