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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. root — the cause
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bear — the animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. root — of a word
  13. lean — thin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mark — a trace
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stock — goods
  22. chest — a box
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mark — a grade

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