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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spell — a short time
  3. last — finally
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. spell — letters
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. last — final
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — for light
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — to go on
  19. spell — magic
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bulb — for light

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