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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. track — to keep track
  3. chair — a leader
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chest — a box
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. track — a path
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fall — the season
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. track — a song
  24. lie — to recline

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