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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mate — a partner
  11. net — for catching
  12. mate — to breed
  13. craft — boats
  14. net — after costs
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tear — to rip
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. net — in sport
  23. tear — from crying
  24. dip — to dunk

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