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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 120 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 · bat · chair · mine · trunk · season · rash · ruler

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rash — a series
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mine — for digging
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rash — hasty
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. season — in sport
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chair — a leader
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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