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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 · chair · present · rush · saw · cap · dip · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. present — the time now
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. firm — a company
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cap — of ice
  10. saw — the tool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. present — there
  13. lie — to recline
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — steady
  16. chair — a leader
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — hurry
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — a gift
  24. dip — to sink

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