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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. deal — to handle
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. game — wild animals
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ball — a dance
  24. game — a match

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