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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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bat — the animal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pop — soda
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. content — happy

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