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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spell — letters
  7. chip — for betting
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. date — the fruit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wax — to grow
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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