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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chest — of your body
  3. race — a contest
  4. degree — an amount
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chair — a leader
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. race — the arms race
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. season — in sport
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chest — of your body
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. degree — from a university
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rush — hurry
  23. race — humankind
  24. chest — a box

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