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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: tear · stand · mouse · rock · temple · foot · game · fork

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tear — from crying
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rock — music
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. game — a match
  15. stand — to bear
  16. tear — to rip
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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