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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lean — thin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. spring — of water
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lean — to bend
  19. spring — the season
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wind — moving air
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. leaves — to go away

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