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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. last — final
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. last — to go on
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. present — the time now
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. last — finally
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. present — there

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