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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
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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: cabinet · saw · chair · jam · lean · temple · fan · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lean — thin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — the tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — a place of worship

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