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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ground — a position
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ground — the earth
  16. date — the fruit
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. roll — a list
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. calf — a young 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