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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rock — a stone
  11. row — a line
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rock — music
  16. face — to confront
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. face — part of the head
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. face — to point toward
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. firm — decided
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pit — in a race

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