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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cell — a phone
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cell — in biology
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ball — a great time
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bulb — for light

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