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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.

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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: object · sharp · last · temple · present · chair · ruler · perch

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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 leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — to protest
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. present — the time now
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. last — final
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. perch — the fish
  14. sharp — clever
  15. object — an aim
  16. present — a gift
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — finally
  19. present — there
  20. last — to go on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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