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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bulb — for light
  3. date — the fruit
  4. spring — the season
  5. pound — a weight
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bulb — for light
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. last — to go on
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. last — final
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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