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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fall — to drop
  3. track — a song
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. track — a path
  6. mate — to breed
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — a friend
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mate — a partner
  15. scale — size or range
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fall — the season
  19. scale — in music
  20. race — a contest
  21. track — to keep track
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. press — to push

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