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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chair — a leader
  6. branch — a division
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. hand — in cards
  20. craft — a skill
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. craft — boats
  24. hand — help

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