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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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468
Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. can — a tin
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mine — for digging
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. can — to be able to
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fork — in a road
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chair — a leader
  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