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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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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. root — of a word
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — the time now
  7. date — the fruit
  8. present — a gift
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — to bear
  11. drill — army training
  12. present — there
  13. drill — a practice
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. root — the cause
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. root — of a plant
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. drill — the tool
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. racket — for tennis

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