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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mug — to rob
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mug — a cup
  12. kid — child
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. date — the fruit
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. key — in music
  24. kid — to tease

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