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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lie — to recline
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wind — moving air
  19. date — the fruit
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pass — to spend time

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