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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · date · craft · bulb · pop · deal · fall · perch

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fall — to drop
  4. face — to confront
  5. date — the fruit
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pop — to visit
  9. craft — a skill
  10. deal — to handle
  11. craft — boats
  12. pop — music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — soda
  18. face — part of the head
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — the season

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