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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. charge — in control
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — in a race
  8. charge — electricity
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. shower — rain
  11. charge — a price
  12. shower — to wash
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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