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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. foot — a measure
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. firm — decided
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. firm — steady
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cold — an illness
  11. firm — a company
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. ball — a great time
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cold — not warm

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