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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — to bear
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. toast — bread
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. snap — to click
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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