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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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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: squash · can · pop · chair · pass · object · lie · lean

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. pass — a permit
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pop — soda
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. can — a tin
  13. pop — music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pop — to visit
  18. object — an aim
  19. can — a tin
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. chair — a leader
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lie — an untruth
  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