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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: land · snap · lie · mate · tube · pit · suit · date

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. suit — clothes
  4. tube — the underground
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mate — a partner
  7. land — to come down
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mate — a friend
  10. land — a country
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. tube — a container
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pit — in a race
  16. date — the fruit
  17. snap — to click
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mate — to breed
  20. suit — in cards
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pit — a hole
  24. land — ground

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