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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bound — certain
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — of the year
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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