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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. suit — in cards
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mark — a trace
  11. perch — the fish
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. suit — to fit
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mark — a grade
  24. suit — clothes

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