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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wound — an injury
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rule — government
  7. key — the most important part
  8. net — for catching
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. shower — rain
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. net — after costs
  15. wound — an injury
  16. key — in music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rule — a law
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — the fruit
  22. shower — to wash
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. net — in sport

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