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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mark — a grade
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bore — to tire
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rush — hurry
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. shower — rain
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. track — a path

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