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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: lean · cold · season · rash · saw · temple · court · toast

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rash — a series
  3. season — of the year
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rash — hasty
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cold — not warm
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. toast — bread
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lean — thin
  21. cold — an illness
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. court — of law

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