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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. prune — to trim
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. date — the fruit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chip — to eat
  24. prune — the fruit

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