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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · race · suit · cell · cabinet · date

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cell — a phone
  4. suit — to fit
  5. race — the arms race
  6. last — final
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. last — to go on
  10. suit — in cards
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. date — the fruit
  15. cell — in biology
  16. race — a contest
  17. last — finally
  18. race — humankind

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