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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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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 · season · fork · ruler · dip · saw · chair · chest

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chest — of your body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. season — in sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. season — of the year
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chest — a box
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lie — to recline

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