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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
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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 · stick · leaves · hand · chair · toast · capital · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lie — to recline
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mug — to rob
  9. capital — a city
  10. hand — help
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. capital — money
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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