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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. wake — a trail
  3. clip — for paper
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. date — the fruit
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. suit — clothes
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. clip — to cut
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. clip — a video
  20. face — part of the head
  21. suit — in cards
  22. dip — to sink
  23. suit — to fit
  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