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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. capital — a city
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. capital — money
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wound — an injury

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