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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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. tear — from crying
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. board — to get on
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. perch — the fish
  18. tear — to rip
  19. plane — a tool
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. board — a committee
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mouse — the animal

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