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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — of water
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ball — a dance
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spring — the season
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — a series
  24. date — on the calendar

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