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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tear — from crying
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. plane — a tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. sharp — clever
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. date — the fruit
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mug — a face
  21. mate — to breed
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mug — a cup

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