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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. face — part of the head
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. drill — army training
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ball — a dance
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ball — a great time
  16. drill — a practice
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. face — to confront
  19. bore — to drill
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. date — the fruit
  24. foot — a measure

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