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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chip — to eat
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rest — a break
  24. march — the month

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