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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. date — the fruit
  11. key — in music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wax — to grow
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stand — to bear
  21. kick — in football
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. key — for a lock

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