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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. saw — the tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. staff — employees
  11. land — a country
  12. date — the fruit
  13. land — ground
  14. present — a gift
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lie — to recline
  21. present — there
  22. land — to come down
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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