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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. spring — the season
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fine — all right
  7. spring — a coil
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. firm — a company
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. firm — decided
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. spring — of water
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. firm — steady
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wake — a trail
  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