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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · toast · firm · date · coach · lean

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. firm — a company
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lean — to bend
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. firm — steady
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. firm — decided
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. date — the fruit
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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