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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fine — high quality
  11. date — the fruit
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chair — a leader
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. face — to confront
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fine — all right
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bore — to tire
  24. calf — a young animal

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