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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cell — a phone
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mug — a face
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rush — to 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