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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rock — music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. content — happy
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. rock — a stone
  15. root — of a plant
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. content — the amount
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rush — 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