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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. object — to protest
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. toast — bread
  5. bank — for money
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. date — the fruit
  9. cell — in biology
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. object — an aim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — soda
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. object — a thing
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cell — a phone
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pop — music
  24. bank — of a river

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