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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kid — child
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pit — a hole
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wax — to grow
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. date — on the calendar

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