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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. squash — the sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. track — to keep track
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. hand — in cards
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mug — a cup
  13. hand — help
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. saw — the tool
  16. track — a path
  17. mug — a face
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. track — a song
  23. mug — to rob
  24. date — on the calendar

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