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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bass — low music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. date — the fruit
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. press — newspapers
  11. shower — to wash
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — in music
  14. suit — in cards
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. suit — clothes
  17. press — a publisher
  18. key — the most important part
  19. clip — a video
  20. bass — the fish
  21. clip — for paper
  22. press — to push
  23. suit — to fit
  24. shower — rain

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