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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — of the year
  9. firm — decided
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. firm — a company
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — steady
  15. kid — child
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. date — the fruit
  21. season — in sport
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. plane — a tool

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