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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 ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cap — a hat
  10. hand — help
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. snap — to click
  16. file — a tool
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. file — a document
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fine — all right
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fine — high quality

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