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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.

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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: temple · chair · mouse · season · saw · patient · can · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chair — a leader
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. can — to be able to
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — of the year
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. season — in sport

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