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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: rush · cap · arm · sharp · content · kick · chair · leaves

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. content — the amount
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cap — a hat
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. content — happy
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. kick — in football
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cap — of ice
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rush — hurry

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