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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fork — in a road
  14. shower — rain
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. toast — bread
  23. pound — a weight
  24. shower — to wash

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