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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.

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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. key — for a lock
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. tear — from crying
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. key — in music
  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