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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mate — a friend
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mate — to breed
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rock — music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mine — an explosive

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