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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. content — the amount
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. clip — for paper
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. clip — to cut
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. date — the fruit
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hand — in cards
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. clip — a video
  21. lean — thin
  22. lie — to recline
  23. content — happy
  24. hand — help

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