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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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Word bank
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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wind — moving air
  7. track — a path
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. track — a song
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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