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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chair — a leader
  5. file — a line of people
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pop — music
  8. file — a tool
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. file — a document
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pop — soda
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lie — to recline
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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