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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. scale — size or range
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bat — the animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. scale — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. date — the fruit
  19. key — in music
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ruler — for measuring

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