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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 120 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: temple · snap · land · safe · ruler · club · leaves · season

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. club — for golf
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. club — for dancing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. land — to come down
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. land — ground
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — a group
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. land — a country
  21. snap — to click
  22. season — in sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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