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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. root — the cause
  10. hand — help
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mark — a grade
  13. root — of a plant
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mark — a trace
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. root — of a word

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