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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bore — to tire
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. craft — boats
  9. date — the fruit
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. plane — a tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. season — in sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bore — to drill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. season — of the year

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