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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 settled on a ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. roll — a list
  4. tube — the underground
  5. date — the fruit
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — a container
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. present — there
  19. squash — to crush
  20. roll — a cake
  21. present — a gift
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. present — the time now
  24. squash — the sport

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