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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. band — a music group
  12. chest — of your body
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. date — the fruit
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. club — for golf
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fall — the season
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — to trim

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