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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: sharp · deal · date · chair · fall · march · bore · cabinet

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bore — to tire
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. sharp — clever
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fall — the season
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fall — to drop
  24. march — the month

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