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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 124 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. branch — a division
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. degree — an amount
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lie — to recline
  18. game — a match
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fan — a supporter

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