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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. object — to protest
  5. present — the time now
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rest — a break
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — a tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. date — the fruit
  14. present — there
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. present — a gift
  24. prune — to trim

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