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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: kick · rush · bear · wave · chair · temple · stand · roll

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kick — in football
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bear — the animal
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bear — the animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rush — hurry

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