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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. content — happy
  7. object — a thing
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lie — to recline
  10. object — an aim
  11. toast — bread
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. content — the amount
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. staff — employees
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. object — to protest
  22. squash — the sport
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. jam — a tight spot

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