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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. bass — the fish
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. last — final
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mark — a grade
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. craft — boats
  15. last — to go on
  16. date — the fruit
  17. last — finally
  18. craft — a skill
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bore — to tire

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