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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. present — the time now
  5. drill — a practice
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. present — there
  12. drill — army training
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. branch — a division
  20. present — a gift
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. date — on the calendar

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