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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. face — part of the head
  3. object — an aim
  4. deal — to handle
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pop — soda
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pop — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pop — to visit
  11. file — a tool
  12. date — the fruit
  13. object — a thing
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. file — a document
  16. craft — a skill
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. face — to confront
  20. file — a line of people
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. object — to protest
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — boats

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