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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lie — to recline
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chair — a leader
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pop — soda
  11. cue — for pool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pop — to visit
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cue — a hint
  17. charge — a price
  18. cue — a signal
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pop — music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chair — to sit on

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