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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. chair — a leader
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. can — a tin
  5. firm — decided
  6. rash — a series
  7. root — of a word
  8. firm — steady
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — a company
  11. root — the cause
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ground — a position
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. root — of a plant

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