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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. track — a song
  16. craft — boats
  17. rest — a break
  18. board — a committee
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — what's left
  22. craft — a skill
  23. board — to get on
  24. track — a path

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