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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. last — final
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chair — a leader
  19. band — a ring
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. band — a music group
  22. club — a group
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. last — finally

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