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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cue — a hint
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. shower — rain
  7. net — after costs
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — for catching
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. net — in sport
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — for pool
  23. shower — to wash
  24. temple — side of the head

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