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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · bear · bat · staff · bore · toast · lean · temple

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lean — thin
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. staff — employees
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bore — to drill
  13. staff — a stick
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. date — the fruit
  23. lean — to bend
  24. temple — a place of worship

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