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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. shower — rain
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tube — a container
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. tube — the underground
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. face — to confront
  14. roll — a cake
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. shower — to wash
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. roll — a list
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cue — a signal
  24. face — part of the head

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