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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. last — final
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pass — a permit
  7. present — there
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pit — a hole
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. last — finally
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. row — a line
  23. date — the fruit
  24. last — to go on

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