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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. drill — army training
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. staff — a stick
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. land — to come down
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. club — for golf
  14. land — ground
  15. staff — employees
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. drill — the tool
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. land — a country
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. drill — a practice
  24. staff — employees

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