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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
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: bulb · date · bear · tear · scale · stick · fan · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bulb — for light
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tear — from crying
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. scale — in music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. tear — to rip

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