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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. last — to go on
  4. mug — a cup
  5. last — finally
  6. shower — rain
  7. craft — a skill
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mug — a face
  17. date — the fruit
  18. shower — to wash
  19. last — final
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. craft — boats
  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