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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. hand — help
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cap — a hat
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cap — of ice
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bank — for money
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. kid — child
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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