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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 trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. tube — the underground
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. tube — a container
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rock — a stone
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rock — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. date — the fruit
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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