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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. sharp — clever
  3. last — finally
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — to go on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — in control
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. last — final
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. band — a ring
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. charge — a price
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. wake — a trail
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. band — a music group

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