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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mark — a trace
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — a leader
  13. club — a group
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. club — for golf
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lash — an eyelash

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