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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spell — letters
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. march — music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spell — a short time
  15. march — the month
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. spell — magic
  19. march — the month
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. suit — clothes

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