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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: date · calf · kid · jam · last · lie · saw · plane

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. date — the fruit
  3. last — final
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. kid — child
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. last — to go on
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. last — finally
  24. kid — to tease

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