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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. land — a country
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — a company
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. firm — steady
  10. cap — a lid
  11. land — ground
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. land — to come down
  16. cap — a hat
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cap — of ice
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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