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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rest — a break
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rest — what's left
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. club — for golf
  10. deal — to handle
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — for digging
  24. arm — a part of something

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