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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. spell — a short time
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bass — low music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tube — a container
  9. spell — letters
  10. rush — hurry
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spell — magic
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bore — to drill

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