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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · kick · mouse · wound · key · leaves · lie · ball

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. key — for a lock
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. key — in music
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. key — the most important part
  17. kick — in football
  18. ball — a dance
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — to recline
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wound — an injury

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