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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lean — thin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cue — a signal
  9. degree — from a university
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bound — obliged
  15. degree — temperature
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cue — a hint
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fine — all right
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bound — certain

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