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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. march — music
  3. rest — a break
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. march — the month
  6. tear — from crying
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. fine — all right
  11. rest — what's left
  12. race — a contest
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. march — the month
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stand — to bear
  24. temple — a place of worship

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