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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · temple · land · bat · bay · leaves

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. fork — in a road
  11. land — a country
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. bat — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. temple — a place of worship

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