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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. staff — a stick
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. spell — magic
  11. board — to get on
  12. staff — employees
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spell — letters
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. prune — to trim

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