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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. staff — a stick
  3. content — the amount
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — a song
  6. staff — employees
  7. date — the fruit
  8. staff — employees
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. track — a path
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. content — happy
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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