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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: dip · mate · lie · jam · bore · chair · cell · saw

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a leader
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lie — to recline
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. saw — the tool
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. dip — to sink

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