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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. band — a ring
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. band — a music group
  8. object — to protest
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. object — an aim
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. foot — a measure
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. chair — a leader
  19. object — a thing
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. march — music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — a series

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