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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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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: present · temple · wound · date · track · pop · leaves · ball

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a dance
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pop — to visit
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. present — there
  13. track — a path
  14. pop — soda
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. present — the time now
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. track — to keep track
  20. present — a gift
  21. pop — music
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — a song

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