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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bass — low music
  7. march — the month
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. kid — child
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. kid — to tease
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bass — the fish
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. chair — a leader

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