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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. march — the month
  5. staff — employees
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. march — music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. race — a contest
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. march — the month
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. race — humankind
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. race — the arms race
  18. key — for a lock
  19. kick — in football
  20. date — the fruit
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. staff — employees

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