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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. foot — a measure
  4. firm — steady
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — a company
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — for a lock
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lean — thin
  15. stand — to bear
  16. key — the most important part
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. key — in music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. firm — decided
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. stand — for spectators

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