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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: foot · ground · temple · wake · pop · leaves · scale · saw

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. saw — the tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pop — music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ground — a position
  13. scale — size or range
  14. foot — a measure
  15. ground — the earth
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wake — a trail
  18. scale — in music
  19. pop — soda
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pop — to visit

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