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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · chair · toast · season · arm · racket · temple · trunk

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. season — in sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. present — there
  12. chair — a leader
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. present — a gift
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. season — of the year
  20. toast — bread
  21. present — the time now
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. trunk — of a car

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