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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pop — soda
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pop — to visit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. charge — electricity
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. date — the fruit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — music

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