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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. file — a document
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. file — a tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. row — a line
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wake — a trail
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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