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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wound — an injury
  3. current — happening now
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. current — electric
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wound — an injury
  11. capital — a city
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. can — a tin
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mark — a grade
  19. current — of water
  20. capital — money
  21. mark — a trace
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. can — to be able to
  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