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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: shower · rock · calf · jam · date · present · mark · rest

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. shower — rain
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rock — music
  9. present — a gift
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rock — a stone
  13. present — there
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. present — the time now
  19. rest — a break
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — what's left
  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