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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.

Make a worksheet

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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468
Word bank
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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mine — for digging
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. band — a music group
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. band — a ring
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rest — what's left
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rash — a series
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — a break

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