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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pound — a weight
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — of the year
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. season — in sport
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. date — the fruit
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fan — a supporter

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