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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. club — for golf
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. game — wild animals
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. date — the fruit
  9. club — for dancing
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wax — to grow
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. club — a group
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rash — a series
  22. mate — a partner
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mate — a friend

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