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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. march — music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bass — the fish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bass — low music
  22. vault — a safe
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fall — the season

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