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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wind — moving air
  3. press — to push
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wind — moving air
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. kick — in football
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. press — a publisher

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