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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spring — the season
  10. vault — a safe
  11. track — a song
  12. rule — a law
  13. bore — to drill
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spring — of water
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rule — government
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mug — a face

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