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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fine — high quality
  4. drill — army training
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fall — to drop
  8. content — the amount
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. content — happy
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. fall — the season
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. toast — bread
  15. mug — a face
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fine — all right
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. patient — a sick person

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