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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. tear — from crying
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cell — a phone
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. date — the fruit
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. can — to be able to
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cell — in biology
  18. calf — a young animal

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