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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. last — finally
  8. suit — in cards
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. scale — in music
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. scale — size or range
  14. present — there
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. snap — to click
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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