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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cue — a signal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — soda
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mark — a grade
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — for pool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — a hint
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mark — a trace
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fan — a supporter

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