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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. shower — rain
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. charge — a price
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. charge — electricity
  8. branch — a division
  9. pit — in a race
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hand — in cards
  14. charge — in control
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — help
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — a hole
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rock — music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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