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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. date — the fruit
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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