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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 120 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: present · suit · capital · mug · arm · chair · lie · snap

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. present — the time now
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. present — a gift
  9. mug — a cup
  10. capital — a city
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. capital — money
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — a face
  17. lie — to recline
  18. suit — clothes
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. present — there
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. suit — to fit
  24. arm — part of the body

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