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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. object — to protest
  3. bulb — for light
  4. object — an aim
  5. drill — army training
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lean — thin
  9. rock — a stone
  10. drill — a practice
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bulb — for light
  14. drill — the tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lean — to bend
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. swing — music
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. object — a thing
  22. rock — music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rock — to move gently

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