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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mug — to rob
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. track — a path
  10. mug — a cup
  11. object — to protest
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mug — a face
  14. file — a tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. object — an aim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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