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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rock — music
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. prune — to trim
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. shower — to wash
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. shower — rain
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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