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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hand — help
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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