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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. season — of the year
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rock — a stone
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bound — obliged
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rock — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. chair — a leader
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bound — certain
  24. tear — from crying

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