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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: date · prune · dip · temple · lie · key · present · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. prune — to trim
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. prune — to trim
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. key — for a lock
  19. dip — to sink
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. date — the fruit

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