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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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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: temple · patient · bear · cap · spell · chair · perch · cabinet

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cap — a hat
  4. spell — letters
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — a short time
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — of ice
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bear — the animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — a lid
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. spell — magic
  24. patient — a sick person

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