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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spell — magic
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lie — to recline
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. last — to go on
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. last — finally
  19. drill — a practice
  20. spell — letters
  21. last — final
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — army training
  24. trunk — of a car

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