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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mark — a grade
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mug — a face
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mark — a trace
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bark — to shout
  12. shower — rain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mug — a cup
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mate — a friend
  24. date — on the calendar

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