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

Word bank: bore · mate · tear · rest · date · deal · sharp · mark

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rest — what's left
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rest — a break
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tear — to rip
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mark — a trace
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bore — gave birth

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