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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cold — not warm
  12. present — the time now
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — to get on
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cold — an illness
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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