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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stem — to come from
  4. date — the fruit
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bass — low music
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. toast — bread
  15. spell — letters
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bore — to drill
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. lean — thin
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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