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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. lean — to bend
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. root — of a plant
  8. object — to protest
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — the cause
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. root — of a word
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bass — low music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lean — thin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. bass — the fish

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