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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. pass — a permit
  5. track — a path
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cap — a hat
  15. lean — thin
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cap — a lid
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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