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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: dip · lean · bark · chair · roll · lie · fan · kick

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — a list
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lean — thin
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. kick — in football
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bark — to shout
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lie — to recline

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