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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. firm — steady
  4. suit — to fit
  5. ground — the earth
  6. drill — a practice
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ground — crushed
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ground — a position
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. firm — decided
  16. date — the fruit
  17. drill — army training
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cell — a phone
  20. suit — in cards
  21. firm — a company
  22. cell — in biology
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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