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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. date — the fruit
  4. drill — army training
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mug — a face
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. row — a line
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pound — a weight
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. drill — the tool
  23. vault — a safe
  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