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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. date — the fruit
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hand — in cards
  9. land — a country
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hand — help
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rash — a series

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