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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 ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. key — the most important part
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mine — for digging
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. snap — to click
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. temple — side of the head

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