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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. spring — the season
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rush — hurry
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spring — of water
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. date — the fruit
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bore — to tire
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bore — gave birth

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