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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: face · chair · net · leaves · temple · date · cap · squash

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cap — of ice
  5. net — in sport
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. net — for catching
  8. date — the fruit
  9. cap — a lid
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. net — after costs
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cap — a hat
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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