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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. hand — help
  5. date — the fruit
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. snap — to click
  13. content — the amount
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. content — happy
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wax — to grow

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