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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. prune — to trim
  3. face — part of the head
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. current — electric
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. current — of water
  8. key — for a lock
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. key — in music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. face — to confront
  14. key — the most important part
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. current — happening now
  19. rash — a series
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. dip — to sink

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