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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. board — to get on
  4. land — a country
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — a committee
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mug — a face
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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