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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mark — a grade
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. hand — help
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hand — in cards
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. roll — a list
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lash — an eyelash

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