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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rule — government
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. firm — a company
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fall — the season
  13. fork — in a road
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chest — a box
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — a law
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chest — of your body

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