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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · pop · wound · bat · rest · suit · date · plane

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wound — an injury
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rest — what's left
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pop — music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rest — a break
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. plane — in geometry

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