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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. date — the fruit
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. present — there
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — the time now
  10. plane — a tool
  11. game — a match
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. squash — to crush
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. game — wild animals
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. squash — the 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