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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tube — a container
  3. rash — a series
  4. date — the fruit
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rash — hasty
  10. tube — the underground
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bank — of a river
  15. tear — from crying
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — hurry

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