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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. squash — to crush
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stock — goods
  14. march — the month
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stock — shares
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chair — a leader
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. chair — a professorship

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