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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: clip · ruler · mark · chair · lie · present · foot · hide

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. present — there
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. clip — for paper
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. clip — a video
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — a gift
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. chair — a leader
  16. present — the time now
  17. clip — to cut
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ruler — for measuring

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