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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. kid — child
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. face — part of the head
  8. plane — a tool
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fine — all right
  11. face — to point toward
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fine — high quality
  21. face — to confront
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fine — a penalty

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