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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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. chair — a leader
  4. fall — the season
  5. date — the fruit
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. deal — to handle
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. vault — a safe
  19. prune — to trim
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. calf — of the leg

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