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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. firm — decided
  7. deal — to handle
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. firm — steady
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. firm — a company
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. date — the fruit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal

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