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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.

Words on the sheet
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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lean — to bend
  3. root — the cause
  4. lean — thin
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. root — of a word
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fall — the season
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bay — a horse colour

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