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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — to rob
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mark — a grade
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mug — a face
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chest — a box
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. can — a tin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. can — a tin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mark — a trace

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