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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pit — a hole
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. spring — of water
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. spring — the season
  14. object — an aim
  15. rule — government
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rule — a law
  19. object — a thing
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — in a race
  22. object — to protest
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. plane — an aircraft

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