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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lean — to bend
  4. march — the month
  5. spell — magic
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. can — a tin
  12. lean — thin
  13. spell — a short time
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. march — the month
  18. saw — the tool
  19. march — music
  20. can — to be able to
  21. spell — letters
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pit — a hole
  24. squash — the sport

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