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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. court — of law
  11. date — the fruit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. toast — bread
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. court — of a king
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. snap — to click
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. court — for sport
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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