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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. drill — a practice
  7. root — the cause
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. drill — army training
  11. rock — a stone
  12. toast — bread
  13. row — to paddle
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. root — of a word
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. root — of a plant
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. row — a line
  20. drill — the tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rock — music

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