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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. date — the fruit
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chip — to eat
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. date — on the calendar

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