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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. firm — steady
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. firm — a company
  11. net — for catching
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fall — to drop
  14. firm — decided
  15. land — ground
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pass — a permit
  24. calf — of the leg

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