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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. date — the fruit
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. face — to point toward
  14. dip — to sink
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. kid — to tease
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. press — a publisher
  23. vault — a safe
  24. arm — part of the body

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