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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stand — to bear
  4. key — for a lock
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. key — in music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — for light
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chest — a box
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cue — a signal
  23. key — the most important part
  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