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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. court — for sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. court — of a king
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fine — all right
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chip — for betting
  18. court — of law
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. temple — side 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