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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spell — letters
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spell — magic
  13. chair — a leader
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. land — ground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. land — a country
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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