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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. field — for sport
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rule — government
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. field — farmland
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rule — a law
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — a subject
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. snap — to click
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rule — to rule out

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