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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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. chest — of your body
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chest — a box
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rest — a break
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — to point toward
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. staff — employees
  15. chest — of your body
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. staff — employees
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. staff — a stick

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