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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spring — a coil
  5. suit — to fit
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stock — shares
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stock — goods
  20. suit — in cards
  21. spring — of water
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. suit — clothes
  24. spring — the season

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