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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. date — the fruit
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rest — a break
  7. stem — to come from
  8. roll — a cake
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cold — an illness
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rest — what's left
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. roll — a list
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cold — not warm

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