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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · bear · date · track · capital · last · prune · lash

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — to keep track
  4. date — the fruit
  5. capital — a city
  6. last — to go on
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. track — a path
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. track — a song
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. plane — a tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. last — finally
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. last — final
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bear — the animal
  24. prune — to trim

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