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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: wake · pit · last · lean · dip · calf · date · shower

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. date — the fruit
  4. last — to go on
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lean — thin
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. shower — rain
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wake — a trail
  17. last — final
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. last — finally
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pit — a hole
  23. shower — to wash
  24. dip — to dunk

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