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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mine — for digging
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rock — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mark — a grade
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rush — hurry
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mark — to pay attention

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