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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. game — a match
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wake — a trail
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bear — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. snap — to click
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. game — a kind of play

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