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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · arm · content · temple · bat · foot · date · wax

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — happy
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. date — the fruit
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. content — the amount
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bat — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. foot — the bottom

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