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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. hand — in cards
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pit — in a race
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. face — to point toward
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spell — magic
  14. chip — for betting
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pit — a hole
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hand — help
  20. spell — letters
  21. face — to confront
  22. spell — a short time
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. leaves — to go away

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