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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rest — what's left
  3. track — a song
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — hurry
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rest — what's left
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wake — a trail
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rest — a break
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hand — in cards
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. track — a path

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