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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lean — thin
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pass — a permit
  13. face — to point toward
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. suit — to fit
  16. dip — to sink
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. face — to confront
  23. kick — in football
  24. pass — to spend time

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