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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — to drop
  4. track — a path
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fall — the season
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lean — thin
  10. hand — help
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fall — to drop
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. pop — music
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pop — soda
  19. hand — in cards
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pop — to visit
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lean — to rest against

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