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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: craft · bay · stick · pop · firm · lie · chair · snap

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lie — to recline
  3. craft — boats
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. firm — a company
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. craft — a skill
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. firm — steady
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. pop — music
  22. firm — decided
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chair — to sit on

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