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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. row — a line
  4. rash — hasty
  5. firm — steady
  6. craft — a skill
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. firm — decided
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bore — to drill
  14. row — to paddle
  15. date — the fruit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rash — a series
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. firm — a company
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. craft — boats
  24. date — on the calendar

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