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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: arm · last · stick · spell · bore · root · racket · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bore — to drill
  3. last — finally
  4. root — the cause
  5. bore — to tire
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. spell — magic
  8. date — the fruit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. last — final
  13. root — of a word
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spell — letters
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. last — to go on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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