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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stem — to come from
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. game — a match
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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