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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rest — a break
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. prune — the fruit

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