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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pass — a permit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bass — the fish
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. saw — the tool
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. prune — to trim
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bass — low music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pass — to succeed

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