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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pound — a weight
  4. staff — a stick
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lie — to recline
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. staff — employees
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. row — a line
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. can — a tin

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