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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cap — a lid
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bound — tied together
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. last — to go on
  12. bound — obliged
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bound — certain
  17. date — the fruit
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stock — shares
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stock — goods
  22. craft — boats
  23. branch — a division
  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