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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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wake — a trail
  4. date — the fruit
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. branch — a division
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rush — hurry
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. chip — for betting
  20. face — to confront
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chip — to eat

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