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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. spring — the season
  3. rule — a law
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rule — government
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tear — to rip
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mark — a grade
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spring — a coil
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mark — a trace
  21. tear — from crying
  22. face — to confront
  23. spring — of water
  24. face — part of the head

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