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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. bulb — for light
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. current — electric
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. lie — to recline
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cold — an illness
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bulb — of a plant

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