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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bore — to tire
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. capital — money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. capital — a city
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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