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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. plane — a tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. land — ground
  10. squash — the sport
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. land — to come down
  18. kick — in football
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. land — a country
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. squash — to crush
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. squash — the vegetable

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