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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. track — a path
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bat — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. march — music
  13. cap — of ice
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. march — the month
  17. cap — a lid
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. march — the month
  24. safe — a strongbox

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