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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — to tease
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lie — to recline
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kid — child
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. club — for dancing
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. club — a group
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bank — of a river

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