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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pit — in a race
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. snap — to click
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. date — the fruit
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. charge — electricity
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. toast — bread
  15. track — a song
  16. dip — to sink
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. track — a path
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. track — to keep track
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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