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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. last — finally
  13. rest — what's left
  14. toast — bread
  15. date — the fruit
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wax — to grow
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rest — a break
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. leaves — to go away

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