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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bank — for money
  4. chest — of your body
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rash — a series
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. scale — in music
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bank — of a river
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chest — a box
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. date — on the calendar

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