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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.

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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 · swing · lie · bore · staff · capital · sharp · rash

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. swing — music
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bore — to tire
  6. swing — to play on
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a city
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. staff — employees
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. swing — in golf
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. staff — a stick

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