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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bark — to shout
  4. present — the time now
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. present — there
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. sharp — clever
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — obliged
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bound — certain
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bound — tied together
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. present — a gift

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