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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cold — an illness
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — clothes
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. toast — bread
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lean — thin
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cell — a phone

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