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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. track — a path
  7. file — a document
  8. date — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. file — a tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. charge — a price
  15. file — a line of people
  16. staff — a stick
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. charge — in control
  19. track — a song
  20. vault — a safe
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. track — to keep track
  23. snap — to click
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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