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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bound — certain
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. court — of a king
  11. chair — a leader
  12. court — of law
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stem — to come from
  16. court — for sport
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bound — obliged
  24. lie — to recline

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