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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. root — of a plant
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bark — to shout
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. root — the cause
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cap — a hat

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