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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. march — the month
  3. row — to paddle
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. row — a line
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. can — a tin
  12. rock — music
  13. cap — a lid
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. march — the month
  16. cap — a hat
  17. march — music
  18. cap — of ice

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