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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — a practice
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cold — an illness
  18. ruler — for measuring

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