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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: mine · tear · arm · last · can · plane · cue · date

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. last — finally
  4. tear — from crying
  5. can — to be able to
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. tear — to rip
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mine — for digging
  15. plane — a tool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. last — final
  18. can — a tin
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tear — from crying
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. last — to go on

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