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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.

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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ground — crushed
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. firm — steady
  8. current — happening now
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. firm — a company
  11. current — of water
  12. ground — a position
  13. tube — a container
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — the earth
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. current — electric
  20. firm — decided
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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