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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. date — the fruit
  12. wax — to grow
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — to confront
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. face — to point toward
  24. row — to paddle

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