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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — a partner
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mate — to breed
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rest — a break
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chest — a box
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mine — for digging
  24. safe — a strongbox

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