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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bear — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. date — the fruit
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chair — a leader
  9. kick — in football
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rest — a break
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chip — to eat

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