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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bound — certain
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. content — the amount
  9. rush — hurry
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. march — the month
  12. bound — tied together
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — a tool
  16. march — the month
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bound — obliged
  23. march — music
  24. content — happy

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