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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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. can — a tin
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bulb — for light
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — to drill
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bore — to tire
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. race — a contest
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. race — humankind
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bulb — for light

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