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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. board — a committee
  4. mark — a trace
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rush — hurry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. race — a contest
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mark — a grade
  21. prune — to trim
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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