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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chest — a box
  3. charge — in control
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — a trail
  15. scale — in music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. charge — a price
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fine — all right
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fine — high quality

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