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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mug — a face
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. perch — the fish
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mug — to rob
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ball — a great time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mug — a cup
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — to lash out

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