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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bank — of a river
  9. kid — to tease
  10. chair — a leader
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bank — for money
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kid — child

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