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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cell — a phone
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. key — in music
  9. foot — a measure
  10. key — the most important part
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cell — in biology
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mug — to rob
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cell — in a prison

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