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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.

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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rock — music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fall — the season
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fall — to drop
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rock — a stone
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rule — a law
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. craft — boats
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rule — government
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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