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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. temple — side of the head
  2. fall — to drop
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — the season
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chair — a leader
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. squash — to crush
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chair — a professorship
  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