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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: lie · chair · lean · mark · wave · sharp · firm · shower

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. shower — to wash
  3. lean — thin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lean — to bend
  8. firm — decided
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lie — to recline
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mark — a trace
  13. firm — a company
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mark — a grade
  17. firm — steady
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. shower — rain
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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