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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. board — to get on
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — a trace
  11. content — happy
  12. mark — a grade
  13. content — the amount
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rest — a break
  17. snap — to click
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. board — a committee
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. tube — a container

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