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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. tear — from crying
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. current — of water
  8. bear — the animal
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. current — happening now
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. tear — from crying
  23. current — electric
  24. temple — a place of worship

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