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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. track — a song
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mate — a partner
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. track — a path
  10. mate — to breed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fork — in a road
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chest — of your body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. track — to keep track

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