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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mug — a face
  3. bound — certain
  4. mug — a cup
  5. drill — the tool
  6. kick — in football
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. drill — army training
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pop — to visit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. mug — to rob
  22. drill — a practice
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bound — tied together

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