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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pop — to visit
  4. land — a country
  5. date — the fruit
  6. land — ground
  7. pop — soda
  8. club — a group
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. land — to come down
  13. pop — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lie — to recline
  16. club — for golf
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bore — to drill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bore — gave birth

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