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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: calf · snap · bat · date · dip · mug · march · mine

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. march — the month
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. march — music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. snap — to click
  20. dip — to sink
  21. date — the fruit
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. march — the month
  24. mug — to rob

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