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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lie — to recline
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bat — the animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. club — a group
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — letters
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. spell — a short time
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. spell — magic
  24. bat — for baseball

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