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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. spring — a coil
  4. press — to push
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — to tire
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. press — a publisher
  13. staff — employees
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. track — a song
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — employees
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. date — the fruit
  24. press — newspapers

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