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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. row — to paddle
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cap — a lid
  10. row — a line
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cap — of ice
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rash — a series
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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