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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. root — the cause
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. root — of a plant
  10. snap — to click
  11. bound — certain
  12. game — wild animals
  13. date — the fruit
  14. deal — to handle
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. root — of a word
  23. game — a match
  24. deal — a big deal

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