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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. date — the fruit
  4. object — to protest
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. object — an aim
  9. march — the month
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. spell — letters
  14. fall — to drop
  15. object — a thing
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. march — music
  19. spell — magic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. spell — a short time
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. march — the month

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