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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. branch — a division
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rash — hasty
  8. roll — a list
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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