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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bat — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. last — finally
  10. face — to confront
  11. suit — to fit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. last — to go on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. suit — in cards
  21. last — final
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bat — for baseball

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