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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rock — music
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — a coil
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. spring — of water
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — the season
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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