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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mark — a trace
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. jam — in traffic

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