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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. date — the fruit
  8. spring — of water
  9. cue — for pool
  10. spring — the season
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. cue — a signal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cap — a lid

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