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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. key — in music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — a signal
  10. content — happy
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. staff — employees
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — the most important part
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. key — for a lock
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. date — the fruit

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