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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · temple · bear · pit · land · rush

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. land — to come down
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. land — ground
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pit — in a race
  16. land — a country
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bear — the animal

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