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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.

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
468
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: fall · chair · wake · calf · rush · saw · suit · temple

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fall — the season
  4. rush — hurry
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wake — a trail
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fall — to drop
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. suit — clothes

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