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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chair — a leader
  5. branch — a division
  6. pop — soda
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pop — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a document
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lie — to recline
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. kick — in football
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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