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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: date · temple · jam · dip · lean · field · season · wake

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. field — a subject
  7. season — in sport
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. dip — to sink
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lean — to bend
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wake — a trail
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lean — thin
  23. season — of the year
  24. lean — to rest against

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