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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bass — the fish
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. hand — help
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bass — low music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fine — all right
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fine — high quality
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wax — to grow
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bass — the instrument

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