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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — after costs
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. current — of water
  8. last — to go on
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. last — final
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. kid — child
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. last — finally
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. net — in sport

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