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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. shower — rain
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. date — the fruit
  8. shower — to wash
  9. face — part of the head
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pass — a permit
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. field — for sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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