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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mine — for digging
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mark — a grade
  8. land — ground
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — a trace
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. row — a line
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. land — to come down
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. land — a country

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