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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. stand — to bear
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mate — a partner
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — to breed
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. degree — an amount
  24. object — to protest

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