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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bass — the fish
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stock — shares
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. date — the fruit
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. charge — a price
  23. face — to point toward
  24. charge — in control

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