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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pass — a permit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cap — of ice
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mine — for digging
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. chair — a leader

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