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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. drill — the tool
  7. band — a music group
  8. tear — from crying
  9. craft — a skill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. drill — a practice
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — for paper
  16. band — a ring
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tear — to rip
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tear — from crying
  23. craft — boats
  24. drill — army training

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