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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cell — a phone
  6. club — for golf
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. squash — to crush
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. club — a group
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. track — a song
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. club — for dancing
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. squash — the sport
  21. tear — from crying
  22. track — to keep track
  23. plane — a tool
  24. track — a path

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