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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — what's left
  5. last — finally
  6. lie — to recline
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. last — to go on
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. last — final
  18. fork — in a road
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. vault — a safe
  23. land — to come down
  24. leaves — lets stay

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