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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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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: rash · temple · bay · chair · clip · object · rock · racket

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rock — a stone
  4. object — an aim
  5. clip — a video
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. clip — to cut
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chair — a leader
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — a series
  18. object — to protest
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rock — music
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. object — a thing

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