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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wake — a trail
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. date — the fruit
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lean — thin
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. suit — in cards

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