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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: date · staff · bay · race · cap · bat · bear · wave

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bear — the animal
  4. date — the fruit
  5. race — a contest
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cap — a lid
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. race — humankind
  24. bay — a horse colour

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