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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mark — a grade
  7. snap — to click
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. row — to paddle
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bass — the fish
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mate — a partner
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bass — low music
  24. row — a line

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