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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. date — the fruit
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mine — for digging
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fine — all right
  23. plane — a tool
  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