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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. object — an aim
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. object — to protest
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wake — a trail
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chest — a box
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. object — a thing

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