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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. court — of a king
  3. root — of a word
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. court — of law
  10. lean — thin
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. court — for sport
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. root — the cause
  24. rock — music

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