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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · temple · roll · wake · saw · rock · rash · chair

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rash — a series
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — hasty
  10. roll — a cake
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rock — music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rock — a stone
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wake — a trail

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