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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. land — to come down
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fall — to drop
  7. land — ground
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fall — the season
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. land — a country
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. tear — from crying

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