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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — the season
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bound — tied together
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pit — a hole
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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