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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. firm — steady
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. row — to paddle
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. row — a line
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. roll — a cake
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. firm — decided
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. roll — a list
  18. bear — the animal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. firm — a company
  23. bat — the animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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