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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. present — there
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spell — magic
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. face — to point toward
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chair — a leader
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. present — the time now
  13. spell — letters
  14. present — a gift
  15. face — to confront
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bass — the fish
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bass — low music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. foot — the bottom
  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