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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: fan · trunk · pound · dip · temple · season · date · toast

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. toast — bread
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. dip — to sink
  15. season — of the year
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. season — in sport
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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