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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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. staff — a stick
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mark — a grade
  8. land — ground
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. staff — employees
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. season — in sport
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. land — to come down
  19. season — of the year
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mark — a trace
  22. staff — employees
  23. land — a country
  24. bulb — of a plant

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