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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. last — finally
  6. rash — hasty
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. land — to come down
  10. last — final
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. last — to go on
  13. land — a country
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wake — a trail
  19. suit — in cards
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. land — ground
  23. suit — clothes
  24. leaves — of a tree

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