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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. mate — a friend
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mate — to breed
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bound — certain
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bound — tied together
  24. nail — on a finger

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