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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: race · wave · kid · mug · dip · lean · date · suit

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mug — a face
  3. kid — to tease
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. suit — to fit
  6. race — humankind
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mug — to rob
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. race — the arms race
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lean — thin
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mug — a cup
  20. race — a contest
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. kid — child

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