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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bore — to tire
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wake — a trail

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