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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. last — to go on
  5. club — for dancing
  6. last — final
  7. current — happening now
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. current — electric
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. hand — in cards
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. face — to point toward
  22. last — finally
  23. current — of water
  24. hand — help

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