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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mine — for digging
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. kick — in football
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lie — to recline
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lie — an untruth

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