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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: temple · staff · season · chair · firm · arm · court · branch

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. firm — decided
  6. staff — a stick
  7. branch — a division
  8. firm — steady
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. court — for sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. season — in sport
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. court — of a king
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. court — of law
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. season — of the year
  22. chair — a leader
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. firm — a company

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