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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a document
  5. saw — the tool
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. file — a tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. file — a line of people
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. saw — the tool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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