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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. present — there
  4. season — in sport
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lean — thin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. present — a gift
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. date — the fruit
  12. season — of the year
  13. present — the time now
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stock — shares
  18. rash — hasty
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rash — a series
  21. stock — goods
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to bend

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