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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. face — to confront
  3. net — for catching
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bound — tied together
  6. vault — a safe
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — after costs
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bound — certain
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. net — in sport
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bound — obliged
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. can — a tin
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. sharp — clever

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