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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: key · bear · stick · temple · fall · pitcher · leaves · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. key — in music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bear — the animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fall — the season

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