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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fine — all right
  4. key — the most important part
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stem — to come from
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. key — in music
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. date — the fruit
  21. key — for a lock
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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