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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. clip — a video
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cap — a hat
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bank — for money
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cap — of ice
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — to tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bank — for money
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. lean — thin

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