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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. date — the fruit
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rash — a series
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — a path
  24. rash — hasty

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