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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. foot — a measure
  5. land — ground
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. land — a country
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. land — to come down
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bass — the fish
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — low music
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. foot — the bottom

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