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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. last — finally
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — temperature
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. land — a country
  8. last — final
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chair — a leader
  11. last — to go on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. land — ground
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. suit — to fit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. prune — to trim
  19. suit — clothes
  20. degree — from a university
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. land — to come down
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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