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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pop — to visit
  3. root — the cause
  4. mug — a cup
  5. toast — bread
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mug — a face
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pop — soda
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pop — music
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mug — to rob
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. sharp — exactly

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