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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: temple · mark · rush · lie · drill · mine · field · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mark — a trace
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mark — a grade
  8. drill — the tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rush — hurry
  11. field — a subject
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — for sport
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. field — farmland
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — army training
  24. mine — for digging

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