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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pass — a permit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. date — the fruit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. toast — bread

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