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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.

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: rock · arm · mark · season · leaves · chair · lash · patient

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mark — a grade
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. season — in sport
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rock — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. season — of the year
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mark — to pay attention

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