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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: leaves · march · board · temple · land · prune · foot · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. foot — a measure
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. march — the month
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. prune — to trim
  8. board — a committee
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. land — to come down
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. march — music
  15. present — there
  16. land — a country
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. board — to get on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. march — the month
  21. present — a gift
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. land — ground
  24. 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