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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: fall · swing · dip · ruler · mouse · date · cap · last

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cap — of ice
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fall — the season
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. swing — music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cap — a lid

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