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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. firm — a company
  5. kick — in football
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. tear — to rip
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tear — from crying
  14. firm — decided
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. firm — steady
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cue — a hint
  24. kick — with a leg

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