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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 found your soul ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a friend
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. row — a line
  10. bank — for money
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bulb — for light
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bank — for money
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bank — of a river
  23. row — to paddle
  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