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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kick — in football
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mark — a trace
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — happy
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a path
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. content — the amount
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. date — the fruit
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bear — the animal

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