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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bound — certain
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bound — obliged
  21. court — of law
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. temple — a place of worship

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