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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: present · temple · cue · can · season · jam · leaves · chair

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. present — the time now
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. can — a tin
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. season — in sport
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cue — a hint
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — of the year
  13. present — a gift
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. present — there
  16. chair — a leader
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. season — to add flavour

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