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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chair — a leader
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. court — for sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. current — of water
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. court — of a king
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — happening now
  22. court — of law
  23. current — electric
  24. lash — to lash out

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