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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. spring — the season
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. content — happy
  6. last — final
  7. rash — hasty
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. last — finally
  16. lie — to recline
  17. last — to go on
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fine — high quality
  21. content — the amount
  22. rash — a series
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. lie — an untruth

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