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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. face — to confront
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. root — the cause
  14. date — the fruit
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bass — low music
  18. root — of a word
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bore — to drill
  21. face — to point toward
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mine — for digging

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