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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 120 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: arm · craft · chair · temple · safe · cold · dip · staff

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. staff — employees
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cold — an illness
  5. staff — employees
  6. cold — not warm
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. craft — boats
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. chair — a leader
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — a stick
  24. chair — to sit on

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