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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mate — to breed
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. perch — the fish
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. date — the fruit
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mate — a friend

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