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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: wave · land · plane · hide · bear · squash · date · sharp

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. squash — to crush
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. land — ground
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. plane — a tool
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. date — the fruit
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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