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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. staff — employees
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. toast — bread
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — employees
  18. march — music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. march — the month

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