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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.

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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. present — the time now
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. face — to confront
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rule — government
  12. present — a gift
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. present — there
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. chair — a leader
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. rule — a law
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kick — a thrill

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