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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cap — of ice
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cap — a hat
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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