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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. drill — a practice
  9. prune — to trim
  10. drill — army training
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spring — of water
  15. prune — to trim
  16. drill — the tool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. spring — the season
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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