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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bore — to drill
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mine — for digging
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — a container
  24. date — on the calendar

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