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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: kid · pound · wave · bay · bear · rush · plane · date

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. kid — child
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bear — the animal
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. date — the fruit
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. date — on the calendar

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