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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · degree · mug · calf · lie · ball · date · kid

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mug — to rob
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. date — the fruit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ball — a dance
  19. kid — child
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. degree — temperature

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