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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rest — what's left
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stock — goods
  6. firm — steady
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. key — in music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spell — magic
  16. date — the fruit
  17. spell — letters
  18. stock — shares
  19. key — the most important part
  20. firm — decided
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. firm — a company
  23. spell — a short time
  24. key — for a lock

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