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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. key — for a lock
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. key — in music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ball — a dance
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. ball — a great time
  18. squash — to crush
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pass — a permit
  24. ball — a round shape

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