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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. deal — to handle
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bass — low music
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. root — the cause
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. root — of a word
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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