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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. march — the month
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. last — finally
  14. march — the month
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. last — to go on
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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