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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. date — the fruit
  7. face — part of the head
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. perch — the fish
  12. face — to point toward
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. dip — to sink
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bear — the animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. face — to confront
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — the animal
  24. swing — in golf

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