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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: band · racket · bulb · wave · bat · plane · calf · date

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. plane — a tool
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. band — a music group
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. band — a ring
  11. bat — the animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bat — in an idiom

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