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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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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: date · plane · wound · wax · toast · racket · cap · mine

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. date — the fruit
  4. plane — a tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wax — to grow
  18. toast — bread
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mine — belonging to me

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