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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. season — of the year
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. season — in sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. temple — a place of worship

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