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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. date — the fruit
  3. present — a gift
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rush — hurry
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. band — a music group
  9. plane — a tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. band — a ring
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. present — the time now
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. snap — to click
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. present — there
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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