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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. chair — a leader
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. swing — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spell — letters
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. swing — in golf
  18. kid — to tease
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mouse — the animal

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