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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pit — in a race
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. kid — child
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kid — to tease
  17. chip — for betting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pit — a hole
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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