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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. date — the fruit
  3. swing — to play on
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. swing — music
  7. kick — in football
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. craft — boats
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rest — a break
  15. pound — a weight
  16. craft — a skill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. swing — in golf
  24. trunk — of a tree

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