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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. kick — in football
  5. spring — of water
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cap — of ice
  9. spring — the season
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cap — a lid
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — a coil
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cap — a hat
  24. kick — with a leg

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