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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. march — the month
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — high quality
  17. march — the month
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. march — music
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fine — all right
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chair — a leader

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