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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lean — thin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. chair — a leader
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cell — in biology
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. board — a committee
  20. lie — to recline
  21. board — to get on
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lean — to bend
  24. tube — the underground

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