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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wake — a trail
  5. track — to keep track
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. track — a song
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. track — a path
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. row — a line
  21. rock — music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. row — to paddle
  24. squash — to crush

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