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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — the season
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. spring — of water
  12. track — a path
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mark — a trace
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. spring — a coil
  23. track — a song
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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