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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pitch — completely
  9. face — part of the head
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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