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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. tear — from crying
  5. season — of the year
  6. pit — in a race
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. chair — a leader
  10. tear — from crying
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. march — the month
  14. tear — to rip
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. season — in sport
  17. march — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. march — the month
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. toast — bread
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pit — a hole
  24. chair — a professorship

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