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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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468
Word bank
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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. net — after costs
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — in sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. saw — the tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fine — all right
  18. snap — to click
  19. net — for catching
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. saw — the tool
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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