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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wake — a trail
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bound — certain
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lean — thin
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. tube — a container
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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