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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.

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: land · leaves · mate · pit · wave · rush · foot · temple

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mate — to breed
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mate — a friend
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. land — ground
  20. mate — a partner
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pit — a hole

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