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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. season — of the year
  5. object — a thing
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rest — a break
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. object — an aim
  12. season — in sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. object — to protest
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. plane — a tool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pass — a permit

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