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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: pass · swing · nail · tear · last · mine · date · mate

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. last — to go on
  3. date — the fruit
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mate — to breed
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mine — for digging
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. last — finally
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. swing — to play on
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. swing — music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. last — final

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