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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. last — finally
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cold — an illness
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. last — to go on
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rest — a break
  16. plane — a tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. last — final
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. calf — a young animal

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