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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. face — part of the head
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rest — what's left
  15. object — an aim
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. tear — to rip
  18. face — to confront
  19. object — to protest
  20. rest — what's left
  21. object — a thing
  22. present — there
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rest — a break

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