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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. drill — army training
  5. firm — a company
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. firm — decided
  10. net — for catching
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. net — in sport
  13. firm — steady
  14. date — the fruit
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bound — obliged
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — to point toward
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. face — part of the head
  21. spell — a short time
  22. face — to confront
  23. net — after costs
  24. drill — a practice

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