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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. face — part of the head
  5. content — the amount
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. tear — to rip
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. foot — a measure
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tear — from crying
  20. content — happy
  21. race — the arms race
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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