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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bark — to shout
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. club — for dancing
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — a group
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. date — the fruit
  15. club — for golf
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stem — to come from
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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