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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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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: lie · cell · content · chair · jam · foot · cue · stick

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chair — a leader
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. content — the amount
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cue — a signal
  22. content — happy
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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