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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pit — a hole
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lean — thin
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pit — in a race
  24. temple — a place of worship

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