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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 veil over the lips.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. date — the fruit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. tube — a container
  5. foot — a measure
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. present — a gift
  10. wind — moving air
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tube — the underground
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. present — the time now
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. present — there
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lie — to recline
  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