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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.

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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rash — hasty
  12. kick — in football
  13. chair — a leader
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rash — a series
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. file — a tool
  22. present — there
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. present — the time now

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