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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. key — in music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. key — the most important part
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. season — in sport
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lean — thin

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