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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. object — to protest
  7. craft — boats
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. key — for a lock
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. object — a thing
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hand — in cards
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pit — in a race
  21. hand — help
  22. object — an aim
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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