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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 120 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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 — to go away
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cap — of ice
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mouse — for a computer

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