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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. degree — temperature
  9. staff — employees
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. staff — employees
  15. stand — to bear
  16. degree — from a university
  17. row — a line
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rash — a series
  20. bulb — for light
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chair — a leader

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