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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. present — there
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. present — the time now
  10. deal — to handle
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. shower — to wash
  15. firm — decided
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. present — a gift
  18. sharp — clever
  19. shower — rain
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bark — to shout

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