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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. deal — to handle
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cell — in biology
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rush — hurry
  18. prune — to trim
  19. shower — to wash
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. shower — rain
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. row — a line
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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