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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bear · last · squash · cabinet · mine · firm · chair

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mine — for digging
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. firm — steady
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. last — to go on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — final
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. firm — a company
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. last — finally
  22. squash — to crush
  23. firm — decided
  24. bear — the animal

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