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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. court — of law
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. court — of a king
  8. fork — in a road
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pass — a permit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mug — a face
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bore — to drill

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