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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: board · field · last · plane · wax · rush · temple · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. field — a subject
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. field — for sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. last — to go on
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. field — farmland
  13. plane — a tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wax — to grow
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. board — to get on
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. board — a committee
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rush — hurry

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