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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mark — a grade
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lie — to recline
  17. can — a tin
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mark — a trace
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — to be able to

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