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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rock — a stone
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — a path
  5. rock — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — to sink
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — a break
  13. march — music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rest — what's left
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. track — a song
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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