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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.

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: foot · lie · chair · land · hide · mate · suit · prune

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — a friend
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mate — a partner
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. suit — clothes
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chair — a leader
  12. suit — to fit
  13. land — to come down
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. land — ground
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mate — to breed
  20. land — a country
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. suit — in cards

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