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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. object — a thing
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. kick — in football
  7. object — an aim
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. dip — to sink
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. object — to protest
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wake — a trail

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