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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. prune — to trim
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. season — in sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. squash — to crush
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. sharp — clever
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — of the year
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. squash — the sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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