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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. swing — to play on
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. object — a thing
  14. chest — of your body
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chest — of your body
  17. object — to protest
  18. hand — in cards
  19. swing — music
  20. chest — a box
  21. object — an aim
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. hand — help
  24. temple — side of the head

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