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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. tube — a container
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mate — a friend
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mate — to breed
  13. tube — the underground
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ground — crushed
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. arm — part of the body

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