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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. present — there
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chair — a leader
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. squash — to crush
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. content — happy
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. present — the time now
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. track — a song
  15. present — a gift
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. content — the amount
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. snap — to click
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. leaves — of a tree

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