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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. ground — a position
  5. shower — rain
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. net — after costs
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ground — the earth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — in sport
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. net — for catching
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. shower — to wash
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mine — an explosive

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