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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mate — to breed
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. season — in sport
  8. chest — a box
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ball — a dance
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mug — a face
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chest — of your 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