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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: chest · dip · stem · date · hide · mate · temple · tear

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mate — a friend
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stem — to come from
  17. tear — from crying
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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