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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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. root — the cause
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. kick — in football
  6. season — of the year
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. season — in sport
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pit — a hole
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. date — on the calendar

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