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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 · key · present · temple · suit · game · fall · file

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. file — a line of people
  3. key — for a lock
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. present — a gift
  8. suit — clothes
  9. present — there
  10. fall — to drop
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. file — a document
  15. game — wild animals
  16. present — the time now
  17. key — in music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fall — the season
  22. suit — in cards
  23. key — the most important part
  24. file — a tool

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