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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: sharp · date · pit · rule · calf · shower · plane · temple

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. date — the fruit
  3. shower — to wash
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. shower — rain
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rule — government
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. calf — a young animal

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