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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. current — happening now
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. date — the fruit
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. plane — a tool
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cue — a hint
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. cue — for pool
  20. current — electric
  21. cue — a signal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. current — of water

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