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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fall — the season
  3. march — the month
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chip — to eat
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chip — for betting
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fall — to drop
  18. march — music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — a container
  24. march — the month

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