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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. saw — the tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bat — the animal
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fine — high quality
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. toast — bread
  22. fine — all right
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cabinet — ministers

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