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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: temple · drill · leaves · kick · date · scale · pop · stand

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. drill — army training
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pop — music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. date — the fruit
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stand — to bear
  14. drill — the tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. leaves — lets stay

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