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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. march — the month
  3. bank — of a river
  4. land — ground
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. land — a country
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. land — to come down
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bank — for money
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. snap — to click
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. march — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. band — a ring
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. band — a music group
  20. march — the month
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — to recline

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