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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · wave · pitcher · date · plane · capital · kid · can

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. capital — money
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. can — a tin
  7. date — the fruit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fall — the season
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fall — to drop
  19. can — to be able to
  20. capital — a city
  21. kid — child
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. kid — to tease

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