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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. press — to push
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. date — the fruit
  20. cell — a phone
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. prune — to trim
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. trunk — of a car

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