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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. current — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pound — a weight
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. current — electric
  12. pop — to visit
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. vault — a safe
  16. current — happening now
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. spring — the season
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pop — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spring — of water
  24. pop — soda

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