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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. file — a line of people
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. key — the most important part
  8. file — a document
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. tube — a container
  12. prune — to trim
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. season — of the year
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. key — for a lock
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a tool
  22. key — in music
  23. season — in sport
  24. racket — a loud noise

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