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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · date · wake · wave · calf · prune

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wake — a trail
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wave — with your hand

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