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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. snap — to click
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. saw — the tool
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pit — a hole
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bulb — for light
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fine — all right
  18. pit — in a race

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