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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rush — hurry
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. drill — the tool
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. sharp — clever
  9. season — of the year
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. date — the fruit
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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