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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a great time
  5. track — a path
  6. swing — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fall — the season
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. swing — to play on
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fall — to drop
  23. date — the fruit
  24. charge — electricity

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