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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mug — a face
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mug — to rob
  5. board — to get on
  6. cap — a lid
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. spring — of water
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spring — a coil
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. board — a committee
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spring — the season
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cap — of ice

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