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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. spell — letters
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. race — a contest
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spell — magic
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. spell — a short time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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