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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. kick — in football
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. degree — temperature
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. snap — to click
  14. date — the fruit
  15. degree — from a university
  16. can — a tin
  17. cue — a signal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. degree — an amount
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cue — a hint
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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