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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pop — music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — a gift
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. present — the time now
  22. pop — soda
  23. present — there
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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