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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. kick — in football
  3. rush — hurry
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. date — the fruit
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bank — of a river
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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