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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: row · foot · leaves · temple · mate · content · snap · object

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. row — a line
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mate — a partner
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mate — a friend
  7. object — a thing
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. content — happy
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. object — an aim
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mate — to breed
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. object — to protest
  22. foot — a measure
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. content — the amount

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