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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. present — the time now
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. craft — boats
  14. track — a song
  15. present — a gift
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. file — a tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. file — a document
  20. fall — the season
  21. present — there
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. craft — a handicraft

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