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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. suit — to fit
  6. root — of a word
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. last — final
  14. suit — clothes
  15. shower — rain
  16. prune — to trim
  17. root — the cause
  18. last — finally
  19. root — of a plant
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. prune — to trim
  22. last — to go on
  23. suit — in cards
  24. toast — bread

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