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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: bay · bound · tear · field · lash · object · calf · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. field — a subject
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bound — tied together
  11. field — farmland
  12. tear — to rip
  13. field — for sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. date — the fruit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. object — a thing
  21. bound — certain
  22. object — to protest
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. tear — from crying

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