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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. kid — to tease
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — the animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. kid — child
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mug — a face
  21. bear — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fork — in a road

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