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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: track · temple · bear · pit · cell · leaves · ruler · wound

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pit — a hole
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pit — in a race
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wound — an injury
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. track — a path
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. track — a song
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cell — in biology

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