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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. chest — of your body
  4. key — in music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ball — a dance
  13. date — the fruit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. kick — in football
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chest — a box
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. key — the most important part
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ball — a round shape

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