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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mark — a grade
  4. saw — the tool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — a position
  13. mine — for digging
  14. snap — to click
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. firm — decided
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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