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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. toast — bread
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. march — the month
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. march — the month
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. march — music
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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