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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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. bat — for baseball
  4. march — the month
  5. object — to protest
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. object — a thing
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stem — to come from
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. march — music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. toast — bread
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. object — an aim
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. march — the month

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