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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. suit — in cards
  5. date — the fruit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. suit — to fit
  10. last — finally
  11. chest — a box
  12. suit — clothes
  13. row — a line
  14. last — final
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. last — to go on
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pass — a permit
  24. row — to paddle

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