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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
468
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: clip · object · rock · lie · spring · chair · jam · chest

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. chest — of your body
  3. spring — the season
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. object — an aim
  10. clip — a video
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. object — a thing
  18. spring — of water
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spring — a coil
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. object — to protest
  23. rock — 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