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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 a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — a song
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. drill — the tool
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pass — a permit
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. track — a path
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. drill — army training
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. perch — the fish
  24. track — to keep track

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