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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. charge — in control
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wound — an injury
  7. charge — electricity
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. wound — an injury
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fall — to drop
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — a price
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fall — the season
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. trunk — of a tree

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