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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. toast — bread
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. clip — a video
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rock — a stone
  18. chair — a leader
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rock — music
  21. clip — to cut
  22. club — a group
  23. snap — to click
  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