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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. ground — crushed
  3. roll — a list
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chest — a box
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. pop — soda
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chest — of your body
  17. roll — a cake
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pop — music
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — the most admired

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