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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · date · face · last · clip · mate · rock · firm

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. last — finally
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mate — a friend
  5. face — part of the head
  6. firm — decided
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. last — to go on
  9. face — to confront
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rock — a stone
  12. last — final
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rock — music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. firm — a company
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. date — the fruit

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