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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: stand · game · dip · lie · toast · mate · chair · ball

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. game — a match
  4. mate — to breed
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lie — to recline
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ball — a great time
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. toast — bread
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mate — a partner

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