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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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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: kid · calf · club · date · snap · suit · plane · temple

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. club — a group
  3. suit — to fit
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. suit — in cards
  8. snap — to click
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. suit — clothes
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. kid — child
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. date — the fruit
  23. plane — a tool
  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