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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — the tool
  8. march — music
  9. current — happening now
  10. key — for a lock
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. current — electric
  14. march — the month
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. snap — to click
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. key — in music
  21. current — of water
  22. key — the most important part
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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