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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. date — the fruit
  3. season — of the year
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. present — the time now
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bark — to shout
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bark — of a tree
  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