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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. plane — a tool
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. field — farmland

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