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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wound — an injury
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. staff — employees
  9. land — a country
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. staff — employees
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. date — the fruit
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. land — ground
  18. staff — a stick
  19. land — to come down
  20. wound — an injury
  21. suit — in cards
  22. roll — a list
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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