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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. squash — to crush
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. clip — for paper
  9. saw — the tool
  10. clip — a video
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. face — to confront
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. temple — side of the head

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