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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. staff — employees
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. staff — employees
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a ring
  7. race — a contest
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. band — a music group
  10. staff — a stick
  11. race — humankind
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. suit — to fit
  19. race — the arms race
  20. date — the fruit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bore — to tire
  23. band — a rubber band
  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