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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. face — to confront
  4. board — to get on
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. drill — the tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. face — to point toward
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. face — part of the head
  11. drill — army training
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. band — a music group
  18. date — the fruit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — a practice

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