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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rock — a stone
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cold — not warm
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rock — music
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. last — to go on
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chair — a leader
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. foot — a measure
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. last — final
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cold — an illness
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. last — finally

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