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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. date — the fruit
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. perch — the fish
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stand — to bear
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rest — a break
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bat — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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