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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bore — to drill
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chest — a box
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pitch — completely

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