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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fall — the season
  3. present — a gift
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. present — the time now
  6. land — to come down
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fall — to drop
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pop — soda
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. track — a path
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to sink
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pop — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. land — a country
  20. track — a song
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. land — ground
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pop — to visit

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