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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: bear · chair · bowl · cue · lie · deal · stick · charge

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. lie — to recline
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. deal — to handle
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. charge — in control
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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