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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — of the year
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. club — for golf
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. spell — letters
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. season — in sport
  22. spell — magic
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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