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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. date — the fruit
  7. staff — employees
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bore — to drill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. toast — bread
  19. sharp — clever
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rash — a series

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