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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lie — to recline
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. fine — all right
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hand — help
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bore — to drill

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