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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. season — of the year
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cue — a hint
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. staff — employees
  12. cue — for pool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. charge — a price
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — in sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cue — a signal
  21. date — the fruit
  22. chair — a leader
  23. staff — a stick
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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