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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — for a lock
  11. spell — letters
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. chair — a leader
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spell — magic
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chair — to sit on

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