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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.

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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. toast — bread
  14. clip — a video
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wax — to grow
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. chair — to sit on

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