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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bound — tied together
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. firm — decided
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bound — certain
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rest — what's left
  13. firm — steady
  14. rest — a break
  15. firm — a company
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wax — to grow
  18. date — on the calendar

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