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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chest — of your body
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rest — what's left
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. key — in music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wind — moving air
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chest — a box
  23. suit — clothes
  24. chair — a leader

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