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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: chair · pit · key · arm · temple · racket · wax · rush

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. key — the most important part
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pit — a hole
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chair — a leader
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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