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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. content — happy
  4. mark — a grade
  5. date — the fruit
  6. lean — thin
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. suit — in cards
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — to crush
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — to bend
  18. squash — the sport
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mark — a trace
  21. content — the amount
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. prune — the fruit

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