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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: hide · bat · plane · stick · date · club · foot · temple

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. date — the fruit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. club — a group
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. bat — the animal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. hide — animal skin

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