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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. firm — decided
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. tear — to rip
  9. firm — a company
  10. suit — in cards
  11. tear — from crying
  12. firm — steady
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — clothes
  19. shower — to wash
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. plane — a tool
  24. kick — in football

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