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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fine — all right
  5. pop — soda
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. band — a ring
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pop — to visit
  11. staff — employees
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pop — music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. staff — employees
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. band — a music group
  23. bear — the animal
  24. band — a rubber band

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