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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. last — to go on
  3. date — the fruit
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mark — a trace
  6. last — finally
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. last — final
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bass — low music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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