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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. date — the fruit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rash — a series
  5. suit — to fit
  6. last — final
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rock — a stone
  10. last — to go on
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cue — a hint
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pit — a hole
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rock — music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. last — finally
  21. pit — in a race
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rash — on the skin

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