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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. swing — music
  5. ground — the earth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. date — the fruit
  11. charge — electricity
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. staff — a stick
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. tube — a container
  19. ground — a position
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ground — crushed
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — to play on

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