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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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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. tear — from crying
  3. key — in music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. staff — employees
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. staff — employees
  18. tear — to rip
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lie — to recline

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