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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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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. toast — bread
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wake — a trail
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — a trace
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. game — a match
  17. perch — the fish
  18. game — wild animals

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