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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: chair · mark · club · jam · toast · cap · lie · hide

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — bread
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cap — a hat
  5. club — a group
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. club — for golf
  9. cap — a lid
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chair — a leader
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. club — for dancing
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cap — of ice
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lie — to recline
  24. toast — the most admired

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