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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. stock — goods
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stock — shares
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. staff — a stick
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lie — to recline
  16. clip — for paper
  17. shower — rain
  18. staff — employees
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. staff — employees
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. face — part of the head

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