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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. toast — bread
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bank — of a river
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. root — of a plant
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bank — for money
  17. fall — to drop
  18. root — of a word
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. root — the cause
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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