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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lean — to bend
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lean — thin
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — a trace
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chair — a leader
  24. temple — a place of worship

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