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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mug — a face
  5. cold — not warm
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. date — the fruit
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. track — a path
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mug — to rob
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lean — thin
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mug — a cup
  19. track — a song
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the 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