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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ball — a great time
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chair — a leader
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lean — thin
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a dance
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mug — a cup
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mug — a face
  24. lean — to rest against

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