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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rock — a stone
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mug — a face
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — to rob
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mug — a cup
  16. lie — to recline
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rock — music

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