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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fork — to eat with

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