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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · hand · fan · lie · date · stock

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. hand — help
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. date — on the calendar

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