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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. plane — a tool
  3. spell — letters
  4. land — ground
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. spell — a short time
  7. present — there
  8. spell — magic
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. land — to come down
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. date — the fruit
  15. land — a country
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rock — music
  24. bore — to tire

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