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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · suit · bear · lie · leaves · field · hide · dip

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. suit — in cards
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — a subject
  12. bear — the animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chair — a leader
  18. field — for sport
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. field — farmland
  21. dip — to sink
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. suit — clothes

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