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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. object — a thing
  3. field — a subject
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rash — a series
  7. object — an aim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. field — for sport
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. rash — hasty
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — a country
  16. date — the fruit
  17. field — farmland
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lie — to recline
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — on the skin

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