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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: field · temple · rest · bulb · rash · mark · date · snap

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bulb — for light
  4. field — for sport
  5. date — the fruit
  6. field — farmland
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mark — a grade
  14. field — a subject
  15. snap — to click
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rash — hasty
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rest — a break
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bulb — for light

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