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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pit — in a race
  4. track — a song
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pit — a hole
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — a path
  18. hand — help
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. hand — in cards
  21. track — to keep track
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bore — to drill

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