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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. land — to come down
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. land — a country
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. suit — clothes
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. suit — in cards
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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