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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. field — a subject
  4. firm — steady
  5. field — for sport
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. date — the fruit
  14. clip — to cut
  15. firm — decided
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. firm — a company
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. field — farmland
  21. clip — a video
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mate — a partner

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