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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. date — the fruit
  3. face — to confront
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. track — a song
  6. face — part of the head
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. net — after costs
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. dip — to sink
  15. net — in sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. track — a path
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spell — letters
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. face — to point toward
  24. net — for catching

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