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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. row — to paddle
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. foot — a measure
  5. row — a line
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. chest — a box
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — boats
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bore — to drill
  18. key — in music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. key — the most important part
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chest — of your body

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