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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. file — a document
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. file — a tool
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. snap — to click
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. file — a line of people
  24. march — music

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