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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wound — an injury
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. toast — bread
  9. rest — a break
  10. wound — an injury
  11. root — the cause
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pop — soda
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — to visit
  18. root — of a word
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pop — music
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wake — a trail
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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