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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. spring — the season
  4. date — the fruit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. toast — bread
  13. spring — of water
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. club — a group
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. spring — a coil
  24. toast — the most admired

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