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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pop — soda
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kick — in football
  7. club — a group
  8. lean — thin
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. deal — to handle
  14. club — for dancing
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pop — music
  17. lean — to bend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bound — certain
  22. pop — to visit
  23. club — for golf
  24. bound — obliged

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