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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. date — the fruit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — a tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. race — humankind
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lie — to recline
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. kid — child
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mate — a partner
  23. kid — to tease
  24. race — a contest

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