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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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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. file — a document
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. file — a line of people
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rest — a break
  7. file — a tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. board — a committee
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitch — a sports field

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