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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. date — the fruit
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. foot — a measure
  7. net — for catching
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. net — in sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cap — of ice
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bore — to drill
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — after costs
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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