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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fine — high quality
  5. season — in sport
  6. hand — in cards
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. foot — a measure
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fine — all right
  16. hand — help
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. firm — decided
  19. date — the fruit
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — steady
  23. season — of the year
  24. firm — a company

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