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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. band — a ring
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rash — hasty
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — a series
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. drill — a practice
  20. band — a music group
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. content — the amount

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