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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. drill — a practice
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — the tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. race — the arms race
  12. drill — the tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — army training
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. race — humankind
  17. saw — the tool
  18. craft — boats
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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