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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. date — the fruit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. prune — to trim
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. prune — to trim
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rash — on the skin

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