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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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Word bank
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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: date · tear · wave · rash · board · march

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rash — a series
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tear — from crying
  11. board — to get on
  12. march — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — a committee

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