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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. club — for golf
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rest — what's left
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. club — a group
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rest — a break
  21. club — for dancing
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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