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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lean — thin
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lean — to bend
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mark — a grade
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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