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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pop — to visit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pop — soda
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rule — a law
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rule — government
  17. pop — music
  18. club — for dancing
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. chair — a leader
  24. temple — side of the head

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