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

Word bank: temple · file · saw · date · staff · fall · bay · present

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. fall — to drop
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. present — a gift
  6. staff — employees
  7. file — a document
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. file — a line of people
  15. saw — the tool
  16. file — a tool
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. present — the time now
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. present — there
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. staff — employees

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