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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bark — to shout
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rash — hasty
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pop — music
  15. date — the fruit
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. temple — side of the head

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