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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. date — the fruit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. present — there
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — a series
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — hasty
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. present — the time now
  14. perch — the fish
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. present — a gift
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. date — on the calendar

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