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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lean — to bend
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. squash — to crush
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — to recline
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chair — a leader
  24. squash — the vegetable

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