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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. staff — employees
  3. branch — a division
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — in control
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. charge — a price
  21. staff — a stick
  22. charge — electricity
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. object — a thing

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