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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. plane — a tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. deal — to handle
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. date — the fruit

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